We enjoy high quality teas and infusions from around the world, provided locally by Edinburgh tea shops as well as gathered by our members on their travels. We try to impart knowledge about their origins and how they were produced as much as possible. If you choose to join our ranks, you’ll have access to our extensive ‘library’ of teas free of charge.

Membership is just £5 for the whole academic year, although you’re never obliged to join. Members will be issued with cards which give a discount at a number of fantastic Edinburgh tea shops though, as well as free or discounted access to our special events. After September, Weekly MeeTeaings are £1 per week for non-members. You can pay for membership in person at any of our events, or on the EUSA website.

Editorial

Tea Classification

Tea Education

Our amazing CommitTea

You can contact us at edinburghSocieTea {at} gmail {dot} com.

Eva Stanistreet

El PresidenTea

Hao Zhang

El Vice PresidenTea

Kaisun Raj

SecreTeary

Jacob Milburn

Teareasurer

Alexander Pietz

Tea Historian

Meredith Bailey

(Extra)Ordinary Member

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History

March 3rd, 2010

Our Humble Beginnings

The SocieTEA is born and her frist ConsTEAtution is established.

April 8th, 2010

A Real Society

EUSA officially recognises SocieTEA as university student society 🎉.

April, 2010

Anteaques & Eteaket Partnership

Partnerships are established with Anteaques and Eteaket.

September 17th, 2010

First Japanese Tea Ceremony

As part of Fresher’s Week, the SocieTEA conducted the first Japanese Tea Ceremony in cooperation with Mio Shapley.

December, 2010

PekoeTea Partnership

Partnerships are established with a new tea shop, PekoeTea.

December, 2017

Rosevear Tea Partnership

Partnerships are established with a new tea shop, Rosevear Tea.

September, 2018

East India Company Partnership

Partnerships are established with the East India Company.

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20% discount on teas, 10% discount on accessories†

20% discount on teas, 10% discount on teaware†

20% discount on teas (Edinburgh Store)†

10% discount (Edinburgh and Glasgow Store)†

10% discount on teas in concept store and tea room†

†for holders of valid membership cards, in-store only, exclusions apply at the discretion of the merchant.

Tea Classification

Infusions derived from tea leaves are one of the most popular beverages in the world. In SocieTEA, we offer all major tea varieties and what differentiates them is the degree of oxidation.

Black Tea

Black tea, known as fully oxidised tea, will experience withering, rolling, deep oxidation (the key process, which changes the green leaves to dark colours and changes the flavour into earthy softness) and drying.

It is the most produced tea type in the world. So, flavours vary a lot, from the fruity-and-floral Darjeeling to the chocolaty-malty-and-nuanced Yunnan black tea.

Green Tea

The most “classic" choice can be green tea, which is made from tea leaves that have been withered, pan frying and dried. Steamed green tea will experience steaming (Japanese tea-making tradition) rather than pan frying.

Green teas can have a vast range of flavours: light and sweet, vegetal, stony, or grassy.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea, referring to the semi-oxidized (25 – 80% oxidation, that is somewhere between a green and a black tea) tea, goes through withering, rolling/bruising (bruise the edges of the leaves to initiate oxidation), oxidation, pan firing and drying. Baking (additional) gives Oolong tea more smoothness and complexity.

Herbal Tea

Strictly speaking Herbal Teas are not teas, as they are not made from the tea plant. Also referred to as tisanes, herbal infusions can be made from a wide range of aromatic herbs and plants. In fact, tisanes can be made from pretty much any part of a plant: leaves, fruit, roots, bark …

A lot of remedial powers are attributed to tisanes, especially in traditional Chinese medicine. The vast majority if tisanes are caffeine-free.

Pu’er

Pu’er and dark tea are post-fermented teas, with Pu’er coming from the Yunnan province of China. Usually, tea plants used in Pu’ers are fairly old and large-leafed. These teas are usually processed in the same way as green teas. Afterwards, the leaves are pressed into cakes or bricks, small or big, and stored for a long time. Over the years, the microorganisms that exist in the tea allow the tea to ferment. The tea becomes darker and the flavour changes significantly. Depending on the climate the tea is stored in, the tea can reach its subjective “prime time” after 20 to 80 years. Due to this being a very long time to wait for tea, a new method was devised. The process is sped up: before being compressed, the leaves are stored in large warehouses in very high heat and humidity, speeding up the acceleration process significantly. This takes months rather than years. The first kind of tea (naturally aged) is referred to as raw or sheng Pu’er whereas the second kind (accelerated fermentation) is called ripe, cooked or shou Pu’er.

The flavour and aroma of Pu’er is very earthy. The flavours of raw and cooked pu’er can differ a lot. Sometimes, a sea-like flavour, or even sea-weed can come out, especially in old or cooked Pu’ers. It is advisable to rinse these types thoroughly before actually drinking the infusions.

White Tea

White tea preserves the most natural and subtle flavours, because tea leaves only go through withering (lightly oxidised during natural withering) and drying (reduces leaf moisture to around 3%). There is no deliberate oxidation process, just like green tea.

The flavour of true white tea is soft and light, and slightly reminiscent of a light black tea.

Available in SocieTEA: Moonlight White.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling tea comes exclusively from the Darjeeling district in the East India. While Darjeeling tea is usually black, but oolongs, greens and even white teas are getting more common. Darjeeling is picked in particular sessions during the summer, called “Flushes”, with earlier flushes generally being more sought after.

As for flavour, one could describe most Darjeelings as floral and fruity, with later flushes becoming more robust.